Feet Up! The Work Boot Thread

[Marvin Berry]

Danner Williams Chukka in oiled black. Have a pair of brown ones on the way.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

I have been enjoying my Grant Stone field boots this winter. They have been my boots for chores, work tasks and tramping around in the local fields/woods. The bison leather is dynamite.

The Grant Stone boots are a good value.

Cheers, Eric -

 

[dh66]

Lace up Wescos, fresh off the ups truck.

 

[Short Balding Guy]

View attachment 608814
Lace up Wescos, fresh off the ups truck.

Dang those are some serious boots. Very cool boots. Congrats.

I followed a pair and others on the Stitchdown Thunderdome. I am very tempted to get a serious pair of boots and participate this coming year. Wescos are on that short list of boots.

Anywho......congrats as you boots are dynamite. Dreaming of boots this evening, Eric -

 

[Woodtroll]

View attachment 608814
Lace up Wescos, fresh off the ups truck.

Wesco makes good boots, congratulations! Were you able to order them from stock, or did you have a long custom-order wait? Just curious, as I’d heard their delivery time was running 18-24 months not long ago.

Enjoy!!

 

[dh66]

Dang those are some serious boots. Very cool boots. Congrats.

I followed a pair and others on the Stitchdown Thunderdome. I am very tempted to get a serious pair of boots and participate this coming year. Wescos are on that short list of boots.

Anywho......congrats as you boots are dynamite. Dreaming of boots this evening, Eric -

Thank you, Eric. I had to look up the Stitchdown Thunderdome. Sounds like fun. Good luck if you decide to take part....although I don't know how much serious patina these boots will have after only 6 months, even if I did everything AND slept in them. They're built like tanks.

 

[dh66]

Wesco makes good boots, congratulations! Were you able to order them from stock, or did you have a long custom-order wait? Just curious, as I’d heard their delivery time was running 18-24 months not long ago.

Enjoy!!

Thanks. These were, fortunately, in stock in my size. I have some Wesco engineer boots that I waited a year for. They're totally worth it, but I'd have been hard pressed to do that again.

 

[litework]

These are actually required PPE.

 

[Fifty150]

For some people, the employer supplies the work boot. So you get a pair every year, whether you want them or not. Most of these boots are far from the best. But they serve a specific purpose related to what you are doing. What I have learned is that these types of shoes are comfortable. Built like a sneaker. No break-in whatsoever. These shoes actually do last more than a year. I've worn them for anywhere from 2 to 5 years. These are completely rugged enough to ride a motorcycle, go hunting, climb hills, do yard work, climb ladders, et cetera. Light weight. Good traction.


Some of the extra pairs, I've given away to friends and family. I've still got about a half dozen pairs, brand new, in the box. Safety toe. Side zipper. Waterproof membrane. They all look the same and fit the same. All of them are similar specifications, from different brands. Not that the brand matters. They're probably all built in the same factory overseas.

Not pretty. Not built to last for decades. You can't resole them.

But functional. And I wear them.

 

[dh66]

For some people, the employer supplies the work boot. So you get a pair every year, whether you want them or not. Most of these boots are far from the best. But they serve a specific purpose related to what you are doing. What I have learned is that these types of shoes are comfortable. Built like a sneaker. No break-in whatsoever. These shoes actually do last more than a year. I've worn them for anywhere from 2 to 5 years. These are completely rugged enough to ride a motorcycle, go hunting, climb hills, do yard work, climb ladders, et cetera. Light weight. Good traction.


Some of the extra pairs, I've given away to friends and family. I've still got about a half dozen pairs, brand new, in the box. Safety toe. Side zipper. Waterproof membrane. They all look the same and fit the same. All of them are similar specifications, from different brands. Not that the brand matters. They're probably all built in the same factory overseas.

Not pretty. Not built to last for decades. You can't resole them.

But functional. And I wear them.





View attachment 609930

View attachment 609932 View attachment 609933

You can't really argue with free boots.

 

[Fifty150]

You can't really argue with free boots.

Far from stylish. Completely functional. Free. I like free.

When I spend my own money, I buy different boots. Are they work boots? It all depends on how you define work. I have a friend who is an electrician. But his job is changing light bulbs. Lighting upgrades. Removing the old fluorescent tubes and ballasts, and installing LED. Nonetheless, it's blue collar. Yet, he does the work in what some might call "dress boots".


I do wear these boots when I go to work. Some of us work in plainclothes. No uniform. So I seldom wear uniform boots

 

[Fifty150]

They pay me for it. I'll call it work. It's physical, in a different way. My work boots got scuffed today. The pavement did it. Relax, I did not get hurt. Fortunately, I was able to brush it, and it's okay. I'll be able to wear them for another shift.

 

[Fifty150]

My brother in law works in a different division. At the end of his watch, he literally has to hose off his boots, before he dons a pair of rubber gloves to take them off. His boots last less than a year. Sort of why in his division, he is issued 2 pairs of boots a year. If a pair of boots is destroyed by chemical exposure, or something cracks or crushes the safety toe, the boot is coated in asphalt or concrete, or the boot is covered in biohazard - they get a new pair of boots immediately. He has gotten up to 8 pairs of boots a year, with the pair that they issue every 6 months, and the emergency replacement pairs. They have to be waterproof, have gusseted tongues, safety toes, and an electrical hazard rating. Premium leather, 360 Goodyear welt, and being resoleable is not even a consideration. Nobody cares about resoling and keeping a pair of boots that has been in a crime scene. You're not trying to keep boots that have gone through raw sewage.


He says that 1 pair of Iron Rangers or 1000 Mile Boots could last him a lifetime. He'll only get to wear them on days off. Same way he will never buy a pair of Allen Edmonds, because he's still got a pair of cheap dress shoes to wear, with the 1 cheap suit he owns and never wears.

 

[Bfd70]

Just started wearing slip on Redbacks for work. So far so good.

 

[dh66]

About 5 weeks of near daily in the Wescos and they're breaking in nicely. Hiked about 4 miles in them this morning.

 

[TLW '90]

This was 1 year in, but I'm almost 2 years in now and they still look about the same.

 

[Fifty150]

Just started wearing slip on Redbacks for work. So far so good.

It all depends on what kind of work you're doing. I like Chelsea style boots. Comfortable. Slip on and off. In Australia, they are known as Australian Work Boots.

I have Chelsea style boots with a steel toe. I seldom wear them. My personal fear is that they might slip off while I'm climbing a ladder or something like that.. My Dad says that I'm crazy, and that the boots will not slip off. These are what I wear when I don't really need a safety shoe, but a safety shoe is nice to have. Vehicle maintenance. Yard work. Shooting.

 

[Bfd70]

Fire department. Boots on and off several times a day. Opted for non steel toe to reduce weight. If i’m using heavy equipment i’m wearing fire boots.

 

[Fifty150]

Some public safety agencies do not allow their patrol division to wear safety toes. Liability. It's an unauthorized weapon if you kick someone.